The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for use in developing wound coils and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods that are useful for developing coils which are to be placed on magnetic cores of dynamoelectric machines, e.g., electric motors.
A number of different patents concerning winding machines and methods have now been published, and different types of equipment have been built that more or less correspond to many of such patents. Two United States patents which relate to winding techniques are Pavesi U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,432 which issued Jan. 26, 1971, and Hill et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,261 which issued Dec. 7, 1971.
It is desirable, when using equipment of the type shown in the Hill, Pavesi, or other patents to have the capability of making adjustments so that coil turns of different developed turn lengths may be wound in order to provide windings for stator cores of different stack heights or axial lengths.
Equipment which has been developed heretofore can provide coils for cores having stack heights within a limited range. However, existing techniques and equipment are limited in the range of such adjustments; and this is due at least in part to eccentric geometrical relationships (vis-a-vis coil form assemblies, turn receiving mechanisms, and wire dispensing means) which are either established or aggravated when such adjustments exceed a relatively limited range. For example, as the length of side turn portions of a winding is increased (to correspond to larger core stacks), an eccentric relationship between a coil form assembly and wire dispenser increases, and, as a result thereof, it is necessary to reduce winding speeds. In many cases, the just referred to eccentricity has been thought to be unavoidable because of the requirement that a predetermined part of a coil form assembly be maintained in alignment with a winding turn receiver. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus by which coil forms may be adjusted to a maximum extent while maintaining a concentric relationship between wire dispensing or depositing means and the coil forms; and yet also maintain a predetermined alignment between at least one of the coil forms and a winding turn receiving mechanism that forms part of a winding apparatus.
Winding techniques that have now become known as the "wind and shed" or "shedder winder" approach are taught, for example, in Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,939 which issued May 12, 1970; Arnold, U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,818 which issued May 25, 1971; Cutler et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,650 which issued Aug. 4, 1970; Smith et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,596, which issued July 3, 1973; and Arnold, U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,791 which issued May 25, 1971; each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The apparatus and methods disclosed in the just referenced patents also may be improved with new and improved approaches whereby geometrical concentricity is maintained between winding forms and wire dispensing means while at least one winding form part is maintained in alignment with a turn receiver; even when form parts are spread apart a maximum possible distance within a flyer arm path.
In shedder or wind and shed type equipment, it is particularly important that aligned relationships be maintained between a turn receiving device and a coil form part because of the "interfitting" or relatively telescoping mutually co-operating relationships that, preferably, are maintained between such device and one or more coil form parts.
Various ones of the equipment illustrated in the above referenced commonly assigned patents include one or more winding turn receiving mechanisms that establish or define turn receiving gaps or slots; and winding turns for a given coil are moved along two predetermined ones of such gaps while each coil is being developed. Each set of those predetermined gaps correspond with two predetermined slots of a stator core, and when an intercoil wire segment is inadvertently placed in the wrong gap, such misplaced wire segment will almost inevitably be broken when it ultimately is axially inserted into the stator core. Misplaced intercoil wire segments have become an increasing problem, particularly as winding speeds have been increased. In an effort to solve this problem, we have now determined that it is desirable to increase the accuracy of the operational interrelationships of various parts, and to improve such parts themselves, as well as winding methods, so that a winding receiving mechanism and a coil forming mechanism may be axially moved relative to one another in a particular manner and at a particular time so as to overcome the misplaced intercoil wire segment problem.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide new and improved methods and apparatus for developing winding coils whereby different parts of a given turn developing means are rapidly and accurately moved relative to one another while they are in a predetermined geometrical relationship, one relative to another, and while at least one of such parts is moved relative to the other.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide new and improved methods and apparatus that provide for the correct positioning of a cross-over wire (e.g., an intercoil wire segment) in a coil group when the coils are being developed in a winding receiver, so as to eliminate subsequent wire breakage or short turns within one or more of the coils.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide improved winding methods and apparatus that accomplish rapid acceleration of parts of a winding head and yet are conducive to reduce deceleration of such parts during one or more machine cycles or sub-cycles.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide new and improved winding methods and apparatus to cause the release of stored energy from a lost motion mechanism at the beginning of a coil form jump cycle, and the storage of energy by such mechanism at the end of such cycle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved latch mechanism which determines the relative position of at least two parts in a winding machine mechanism.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and methods for adjusting parts of winding apparatus whereby the distance between coil form parts may be increased while a geometrically centered relationship is maintained between winding turn dispensing means and the coil form parts, and yet while a predetermined alignment between a winding turn receiver and at least one coil form part is also maintained.